Florida

[Janie]

We (2 couples) would like to ride to the Florida keys this winter from somewhere about 200 miles away.  I don't really want to go down the Pacific coast on the ACA maps.  It looks so crowded.  How would the Gulf Coast be?  Any advice?  Thanks.

[litespeed]

I live in Holiday, FL, about 30 miles north of St. Petersburg. I know (bicycle touring) Florida north of St. Pete like the back of my hand but have never bicycled south.

You could probably go to, say, Sarasota and on down the Gulf coast to the Tamiami Trail (US41), across the state and on down to Key West. There are intermitent trails alongside the Overseas Highway. The Sunshine Skyway (I-275) south out of St. Pete is closed to cyclists. This is a trip I have had in the back of my mind for years. Unless you have a tolerance for heat you should do it in the dead of winter. I have lived in Florida since 1976 without air conditioning so am well acclimated but northerners often have a hard time here.

The west coast is, frankly, a lot more scenic and interesting than Florida. If you could do a trip there between Labor Day and mid-October you should have a fine, if physically demanding, tour. This would avoid the summer crowds and the winter storms.

[dkoloko]

The west coast is, frankly, a lot more scenic and interesting than Florida. If you could do a trip there between Labor Day and mid-October you should have a fine, if physically demanding, tour. This would avoid the summer crowds and the winter storms.

I did 1100 miles of Pacific Coast Route during time you recommend. Still heavy traffic on highways. Scenery is worth it, but traffic is a factor. Also, that time of year number of campgrounds are closed.

[wbst31]

Try the ACA's Florida Connector to Fort Myers and take the Key West Express.

William Becker
Fort Myers, FL

[tonythomson]

That's one heck of a detour to get to the Florida Keys from 200 miles away via the Pacific coast.  Let's hope your map reading is better than your geography LOL. 
Would help to know where you plan to start from and time scales, as Florida has some great Rails to Trails and many other trails which you can work into your trip. I didn't find I1A too bad but can still be very busy as with the Gulf coast but that way you can miss out Miami and take a ferry over to the keys.